Ancient Words, Modern Message

Profile in Courage

In 1956 a young senator from Massachusetts named John F. Kennedy and co-author Ted Sorenson published a book entitled Profiles in Courage featuring the biographies of eight U. S. senators who demonstrated remarkable courage in standing for what they believed was right at crucial periods in United States history.  The book became an immediate bestseller and ultimately was awarded a Pulitzer Prize.
In 760 B.C. a simple man who worked as a shepherd and a farmer in  the Southern Kingdom of Israel was called by God to be a prophet to carry God’s message to the Northern Kingdom of Israel.  The Old Testament book which bears his name and records his message is indeed a profile in courage.
We will read of the courage of this man, Amos, in today’s study of three sections of the book, the fourth study in this series entitled:  “Amos:  Simple Man, Profound Message,” an episode we call simply “Profile in Courage.”
Before we turn to the study, allow me to mention that we would be happy to send a complete set of the printed notes for all six of the episodes in this study of the Book of Amos without charge upon request.  If you would like to receive the set, contact us by e-mail at HCF1033@aol.com, by phoning our office at 215-256-4500, or drop us a line at: Hebrew Christian Fellowship, P.O. Box 245, Harleysville, PA 19438.  We would be delighted to hear from you.
And now, let’s open the Bible to the book of Amos for this “Profile in Courage."

The Power of Prophetic Poetry

We don’t normally think of a farmer as one who writes poetry, which is why it is so surprising to learn that Amos,  the 8th century B.C. shepherd and farmer from Judah, the Southern Kingdom of Israel, presented his entire prophetic announcement to the Northern Kingdom of Israel in poetic form.
 
In this third study in the series, “Amos:  Simple Man, Profound Message,” Roger Wambold discusses the uniqueness of Hebrew poetry and the prophet’s usage of it in an episode entitled, “The Power of Prophetic Poetry.”
 
So. . .let’s open our Bible to Amos Chapter 3, roll up our sleeves, and dig into this challenging, but rewarding portion of God’s Inspired Word.

Great Privilege, Great Responsibility

While a careful study of the Old Testament prophetic scriptures can sometimes appear to be a very daunting prospect, the richness of truth and relevance to us today make such a study well worth the time and effort.  So it is with this series of studies in the Old Testament book of Amos.  
 
It has often been said that with privilege comes responsibility, and that is certainly evident in the Holy Spirit-inspired words of the eighth century B.C. prophet Amos.  With an open Bible turned to Amos 2, verses 4 through 16, let’s dive into this second study in the series, “Amos:  Simple Man, Profound Message,” an episode entitled, “Great Privilege, Great Responsibility.”

Simple Man, Profound Message

In 2014 the Wambolds, Roger and Phyllis, began an informational and teaching ministry called “Shmooze, News, and Views.”  Over the years, “Shmooze” (as it is affectionately known) has grown numerically and in popularity, with over twenty churches represented in attendance.
 
Each session of Shmooze includes a Bible study, with most of the studies drawn from the Old Testament, including little known and seldom taught sections of the Old Testament Prophets.
 
Since 2014 Roger has taught each of the twelve Minor Prophets, from Hosea through Malachi.
 
We invite you now to step into the sessions of “Shmooze, News, and Views” as we consider one of the least known books of the Old Testament, the prophet Amos, in a series we call:
 
“Simple Man, Profound Message.”  We’ve entitled this first study of the book, “Amos:  The Man and His Message.”
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Thank you for listening to Ancient Words, Modern Message. You can expect episodes twice a month on Monday.
Ancient Words, Modern Message is supported by Hebrew Christian Fellowship. To learn more about our ministry, or to ask a question, contact HCFellowship4819@gmail.com. We might just answer your question on a future episode of Ancient Words, Modern Message.
If you know a person that you think would benefit from this teaching, please share it with them. And if you’d like to support Ancient Words, Modern Message, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your input helps us make the podcast even better and reach new listeners.
Ancient Words, Modern Message is produced by Studio D Podcast Production and hosted by Rev. Roger Wambold, Director of Hebrew Christian Fellowship.
 

Meaningful Memories

In our vast collection of personal memories, each one of us has some which are particularly meaningful for a variety of reasons.
 
In this Bagel-side Chat #4 Roger Wambold recalls two particularly meaningful memories of his many times spent in Israel, their relevance to the founding of the mission which he directs, and to the situation in which the Jewish people find themselves today.
 
Join us as Roger reflects on the past, with an eye toward the present and the future in this episode of “Ancient Words, Modern Message,” an episode we call simply “Meaningful Memories.”
 
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Thank you for listening to Ancient Words, Modern Message. You can expect episodes twice a month on Monday.
Ancient Words, Modern Message is supported by Hebrew Christian Fellowship. To learn more about our ministry, or to ask a question, contact HCFellowship4819@gmail.com. We might just answer your question on a future episode of Ancient Words, Modern Message.
If you know a person that you think would benefit from this teaching, please share it with them. And if you’d like to support Ancient Words, Modern Message, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your input helps us make the podcast even better and reach new listeners.
Ancient Words, Modern Message is produced by Studio D Podcast Production and hosted by Rev. Roger Wambold, Director of Hebrew Christian Fellowship.

Against All Odds

The Bible is full of accounts of dramatic events involving the people of God, events in which God has displayed His unique character and power.  One of these events took place during the reign of the thirteenth king of the Southern Kingdom of Israel, King Hezekiah.  
 
When it appeared that defeat and destruction at the hands of the mighty Assyrian army was inevitable, in response to the prayers of Hezekiah and Isaiah the Prophet, God moved in a spectacular way.
 
We will learn about this dramatic event in this sixth and final episode in the series, “Not Perfect, but Good:  Studies in the Life and Reign of King Hezekiah,” along with the reminder that Hezekiah’s God is our God and that He specializes in doing that which only He can accomplish, for His honor and glory.  He did it then, and He can do it now!  So let’s get right into our study in an episode we have entitled, “Against All Odds!”
 
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Thank you for listening to Ancient Words, Modern Message. You can expect episodes twice a month on Monday.
Ancient Words, Modern Message is supported by Hebrew Christian Fellowship. To learn more about our ministry, or to ask a question, contact HCFellowship4819@gmail.com. We might just answer your question on a future episode of Ancient Words, Modern Message.
If you know a person that you think would benefit from this teaching, please share it with them. And if you’d like to support Ancient Words, Modern Message, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your input helps us make the podcast even better and reach new listeners.
Ancient Words, Modern Message is produced by Studio D Podcast Production and hosted by Rev. Roger Wambold, Director of Hebrew Christian Fellowship.
 

Great Treasure in Not-So-Great Containers

In 1980 country singer Mac Davis recorded a song he had written with the whimsical lyric:  “Oh, Lord, it’s hard to be humble when you’re perfect in every way.”  That record quickly climbed to the top of the charts, probably because it was so outrageous for anyone to claim to be perfect! 
 
Nearly everyone is aware of his or her own flaws and imperfections, but the good news is that God delights in using people who are not at all perfect and in doing great things through them, in spite of their flaws.
 
The history of the kings of the Southern Kingdom of Israel includes one king who is described as the best of the good and godly rulers. . .and yet, he was not perfect.  We’ll learn of his major character flaw and what it means to us in this fifth in the series entitled appropriately, “Not Perfect, But Good:  Studies in the Life and Reign of King Hezekiah,” an episode we call “Great Treasure in Not-So-Great Containers.”  Thanks for joining us in this study designed to encourage all of us who are far less than perfect!
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Thank you for listening to Ancient Words, Modern Message. You can expect episodes twice a month on Monday.
Ancient Words, Modern Message is supported by Hebrew Christian Fellowship. To learn more about our ministry, or to ask a question, contact HCFellowship4819@gmail.com. We might just answer your question on a future episode of Ancient Words, Modern Message.
If you know a person that you think would benefit from this teaching, please share it with them. And if you’d like to support Ancient Words, Modern Message, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your input helps us make the podcast even better and reach new listeners.
Ancient Words, Modern Message is produced by Studio D Podcast Production and hosted by Rev. Roger Wambold, Director of Hebrew Christian Fellowship.
 

The Power of Prayer

There are a number of time honored mottos which have been a great encouragement to Christians throughout the ages, among which is this one:  “Prayer changes things!”
 
While the Bible is full of instances in which “things” were “changed” by prayer, one of the most dramatic is found in the Old Testament record of the life and reign of King Hezekiah.
 
In this early part of a new year, perhaps more than ever we need a reminder of the power of prayer and, in King Hezekiah’s own words recorded in Isaiah 38:19-20, a reminder that. . .
 
“. . .the LORD was ready to save me; therefore, we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the LORD.”
 
Let’s learn more about this as we consider the fourth in this series entitled, “Not Perfect, but Good (Studies in the Life and Reign of King Hezekiah,” an episode entitled simply, “The Power of Prayer.”
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Thank you for listening to Ancient Words, Modern Message. You can expect episodes twice a month on Monday.
Ancient Words, Modern Message is supported by Hebrew Christian Fellowship. To learn more about our ministry, or to ask a question, contact HCFellowship4819@gmail.com. We might just answer your question on a future episode of Ancient Words, Modern Message.
If you know a person that you think would benefit from this teaching, please share it with them. And if you’d like to support Ancient Words, Modern Message, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your input helps us make the podcast even better and reach new listeners.
Ancient Words, Modern Message is produced by Studio D Podcast Production and hosted by Rev. Roger Wambold, Director of Hebrew Christian Fellowship.
 

Leading in the Right Direction

 
While there is no certain answer regarding where the expression, “It’s lonely at the top,” came from, we do know that the expression, “The buck stops here,” was a sign that President Harry S. Truman kept on his desk in the oval office.
 
These are just two sayings having to do with leadership, but there are many, many more.
 
It is sometimes said that in a certain nation at a certain time in history there was “a crisis in leadership.”
 
In late eighth century B.C. Israel under King Ahaz, there was no crisis in leadership, but there was a desperate crisis in the right kind of leadership.  It remained for his son, King Hezekiah, to begin his reign when the right kind of leadership would be displayed dramatically, along with its desirable results.
 
We’ll learn about that in this third episode in a six-part series called, “Not Perfect, But Good” (Studies in the Life and Reign of King Hezekiah), an episode entitled, “Leading in the Right Direction.”  Thanks for joining us and let’s get right into it.
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Thank you for listening to Ancient Words, Modern Message. You can expect episodes twice a month on Monday.
Ancient Words, Modern Message is supported by Hebrew Christian Fellowship. To learn more about our ministry, or to ask a question, contact HCFellowship4819@gmail.com. We might just answer your question on a future episode of Ancient Words, Modern Message.
If you know a person that you think would benefit from this teaching, please share it with them. And if you’d like to support Ancient Words, Modern Message, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your input helps us make the podcast even better and reach new listeners.
Ancient Words, Modern Message is produced by Studio D Podcast Production and hosted by Rev. Roger Wambold, Director of Hebrew Christian Fellowship.
 
 
 

“The Power of One,” Hezekiah Podcast #2

Shalom, and thank you for tuning in to this podcast, “Ancient Words, Modern Message.”
 
I’m your host, Roger Wambold.
 
In facing the enormous challenges posed by the societal and spiritual decline of our day, it is natural to ask the question:  “What can I do, I am only one person and the task is so great.”
 
A man named Hanani was sent by God during a time of monumental crises of all types in the Southern Kingdom of Israel under the reign of King Ahaz when he spoke these words recorded in 2 Chronicles 16:9, AV:
 
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. 
 
Though Ahaz did not respond to the challenge, his son Hezekiah did, and the result throughout the Southern Kingdom of Israel was nothing short of astounding.
 
I invite you to consider the impact of one godly man as you listen to this second in the series, “Not Perfect, but Good:  Studies in the Life and Reign of King Hezekiah,” an episode entitled, “The Power of One.”
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Thank you for listening to Ancient Words, Modern Message. You can expect episodes twice a month on Monday.
Ancient Words, Modern Message is supported by Hebrew Christian Fellowship. To learn more about our ministry, or to ask a question, contact HCFellowship4819@gmail.com. We might just answer your question on a future episode of Ancient Words, Modern Message.
If you know a person that you think would benefit from this teaching, please share it with them. And if you’d like to support Ancient Words, Modern Message, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your input helps us make the podcast even better and reach new listeners.
Ancient Words, Modern Message is produced by Studio D Podcast Production and hosted by Rev. Roger Wambold, Director of Hebrew Christian Fellowship.